I. Objectives
Iraq is hosting some 2.8 million internally displaced persons(1) (1.2 million was displaced before February 2006; almost 1.6 million in 2006-2008) and is also home to 41,860(2) refugees, primarily located in the Kurdistan Region and the Governorates of Baghdad and Al Anbar. UNHCR strives to ensure that protection and assistance are provided for displaced persons, returnees, refugees and asylum-seekers, through:
II. Operations
II. 1. Support to IDPs and Returnees:
- Direct humanitarian relief assistance to IDPs, vulnerable host community members and returnees with special focus on emergency shelter rehabilitation and shelter kits distribution;
- Community-based assistance in displacement / return-impacted areas in watsan, protection, income generation, transportation and education;
- Support for community-based organizations to meet IDP and returnee needs or referral to appropriate sectoral authority or organization;
- Provision of protection services and monitoring through countrywide network of Protection and Assistance Centres (PACs) and Mobile Teams;
- Emergency preparedness & response for 100,000 persons through contingency stock and NFI distributions;
- Strengthening national capacities to respond to displacement-induced emergencies through provision of support to Governorate Emergency Cells.
II. 2. Support to Refugees and Asylum Seekers:
- Life-saving assistance to refugee populations;
- Registration of and assistance to asylum-seekers;
- Targeted assistance to the most vulnerable cases, including income generation support or subsistence allowances;
- Monitoring conditions for voluntary repatriation;
- Resettlement of those with protection needs, women-at-risk and on medical grounds;
- Registration and issuance of identity documents;
III. UNHCR and its Humanitarian Partners for Iraq:
Protection and Shelter Sector Outcome Teams: Protection UNHCR (Lead), UNAMI (HRO) & UNICEF (Co-leads), Shelter UN-Habitat (Lead) & UNHCR (Co-lead); other partners are: IOM, OCHA, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNIFEM, UNOPS, WHO, WFP as well as international and national NGOs.
Signed Agreements: Ministry of Displacement and Migration and twelve NGO partners covering all Governorates.